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Crescent is a crowhopper—a genetically modified mercenary programmed for ruthless warfare. For her it’s a disaster when a young man denies her the chance to die in battle. When Crater Trueblood captures her, takes her home with him to Moontown, and actually treats her kindly? That’s beyond comprehension.

Crater is weary of war. He’s a miner, not a soldier. He’d rather spend time working than battle the infernal crowhoppers and their bosses from earth. When he captures a little crowhopper and brings her home, he’s surprised to enjoy her company. When she’s falsely accused of murder, he becomes an outlaw to help her escape.

Maria Medaris, like her grandfather, is a ruthless competitor in business and in life. She’s well on her way to building an empire for herself. But she’s haunted by the memory of a young man she traveled with three years earlier, the man she’s vowed never to see again.Crater Trueblood.

When a murderous band of assassins attack, Crescent, Crater, and Maria escape into the “big suck” and trek with a caravan of mining pioneers toward a lunar ghost town called Endless Dust. To survive they must do more than navigate the beautiful, desolate moonscape and battle a persistent band of crowhoppers. They must decide what—and who—is truly worth fighting for.

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What Others are Saying

“Readers don’t need to have read Crater (2012) to enjoy the many pleasures of its sequel. And that’s because the basic narrative parts Hickam uses are refreshingly straightforward; it’s what he does with those parts that is so ingenious, fun, and, ultimately, heartwarming. There’s a trio of 19-year-old main characters: soldier-scientist-pilot Crater Trueblood, an improbably named protagonist; the unforgettable title character, Crescent, who’s “the product of a Petri dish and trained to kill upon command”; and Maria Medaris, self-described “spoiled granddaughter of the richest man on the moon.” Together, the three must survive an attack from the same mercenary forces in which Crescent once served—before Crater quasi adopted her, postbattle. Expertly blending space opera and hard sci-fi, romance, and even mystery (there’s a detour for a nifty whodunit), this is fast paced, packed with intriguing ideas, and, in general, a mirror of the resourcefulness and multidimensionality of its hero.”– Booklist

“Classic Golden Age science fiction high adventure. It brought back memories of reading Asimov…that same sense of wonder. I absolutely loved it.”— Michael Scott, New York Times best-selling author, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series